John Hogan, right, and Kenny Franco, talk about the positives of Club Bash, a teen nightclub they're opening that aims to give kids a safe, alcohol- and drug-free place to hang out in Washington Township, Wednesday, Oct. 16, 2013. (Staff Photo by Lori M. Nichols/South Jersey Times)

The co-owners of the recreation center and club — planned for the former county complex at 160 Fries Mill Road — are eager to get Bash up and running, but they’re also eager to set the record straight.

Criticism and skepticism regarding Bash has crept up on social media sites recently, with some parents and residents worried that the club will attract the noise complaints, disorderly conduct and safety issues that plagued previous teen clubs in the area.

Owners Kenny Franco and John Hogan — Franco is a current state trooper and Hogan is a retired trooper — said the alcohol-free Bash will be worlds apart from the negative experiences residents remember.

For starters, they said, most nights during the week Bash will be more of a laid-back recreation center with Wi-Fi, games and music where kids can meet after school, work on homework together or just relax.

“We don’t want to be pigeon-holed into this night club concept,” Franco said. “Unfortunately, it has this stigma attached.”

To combat the concerns of citizens — which mirror issues the zoning board raised during the approval process — Franco and Hogan will be hiring current and retired law enforcement officers as security personnel, and they’re working with the Washington Township Police to ensure that a uniformed officer and police car are stationed outside of Bash on club nights. If anyone acts up, threatens violence, seems to be intoxicated or causing problems, Franco said the police will be there to take care of the issues.

In addition to their no-tolerance policy, they’ll also have a “no re-entry” policy. Once a patron leaves the facility, they will not be allowed back, Franco said.

Friday nights from 7 to 11 p.m. will be reserved for younger teens aged 12 to 15, and teens aged 14 to 18 will be welcomed on Saturday nights from 8 p.m. to midnight.

The facility will be open only to Washington Township students who can provide a valid school ID or proof of residence. The students are allowed to bring one guest, and Franco is hoping the policy eliminates “rivalries” from different towns that caused problems in similar facilities.

“When you have rivalries, that’s when the problems start,” Franco said.

Franco and Hogan have been working on the Bash concept for more than a year, conducting interviews with students, researching the failings of previous clubs and working out their business model.

“In our research, we found a lot of the issues came from [teen clubs] not being properly managed,” Hogan said.

When speaking to students — who inspired the club name, a popular slang term for a party — he found that, while students keep busy during the week, having nothing to do on weekend nights spurs involvement in illegal activity.

“Fifty-two percent of kids said they drink and do drugs because they’re bored,” Franco said, adding he’s heard from police that they have the most problems with juveniles causing trouble on weekend nights, especially after football games.

He said he’s hoping the kids will get to know the staff and feel comfortable coming back every week.

“It’s important to treat the kids like they’re your own,” Franco added.

And for parents who are still skeptical and wouldn’t approve of their teen attending the club, Franco said they’ll work just as hard to prevent those kids from coming in without parental consent.

To ease concerns, however, they said they’ll also be hosting an open house prior to their grand opening, so parents can meet the owners, staff and get a better idea of what Bash is all about.

“We want people to give it a chance,” Franco said.

The co-owners also said they’d make the facility available to local police departments, fire departments, charitable and school organizations for fundraisers and other events.

“It’s a social center,” Hogan said.

Once the zoning board issues its resolution approving Bash, the pair will work on getting the necessary construction permits and aim to have their doors open in mid-December.